Mexico Room (D211), FAO HQ, Rome, Italy, 25-27 January 2006
Report of the Terrestrial Observing Panel for Climate
to the
Global Terrestrial Observing System’s Steering Committee
(Submitted by the Chair,TOPC)
Summary and Purpose of Document
This document provides a summary of the activities of the Terrestrial Observing Panel for Climate from 21st January 2002 to 17th January 2006. During this period the Panel has: revised membership and terms of reference; supported the preparation of the 2nd Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate for the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC; supported the preparation of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate for the UNFCCC; supported the preparation of a supplement to the Implementation Plan detailing the satellite needs for climate.
ACTION PROPOSED
The meeting is invited to note the information contained in this document for discussion under Agenda Item 9.
Participants are requested to provide guidance on TOPC membership, including identification of new Panel Chair.
TOPC Report to GTOS SC. Contents:
1. Panel management, membership and terms of reference
2. Revision to the list of terrestrial Essential Climate Variables forming part of the global climate observing system
3. Preparation of the 2nd Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate for the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC.
4. Preparation of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate in Support of the UNFCCC
5. Preparation of a Global Climate Observing System / World Climate Research Programme supplement to the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate detailing the satellite needs for climate. The supplement is being prepared to support the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites in preparing their own report to the next Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC on the role
1. Panel Management issues
Terms of Reference for the Panel were revised at TOPC’s 6th Panel meeting. These were accepted by the 10th session of the GCOS Steering Committee in Farnham and by the GTOS Secretariat via email. The Terms of Reference are given in Annex 1. The Terms of Reference for the Panel appearing on the GCOS and GTOS web sites differ from the annex. The SC is asked to ensure web sites reflect the change.
TOPC has 12 Panel Members in the official membership list (Annex 2). Some members have not been able to attend the meetings, but have made comment via email. A number of experts helped address particular aspects of the Panel’s work; 32 experts have been involved in TOPC’s 2002 – 2006 work programme (annex 3). The current Chair stands down after the next Panel Meeting (28th – 29th March). Advice is sought from the GTOS (and GCOS) SC for a new Chair.
The Panel met in formal session on three occasions over the last four years. The next meeting is scheduled for 28th – 29th March 2006. TOPC has been represented at 20 meetings (see annex 4). These involve a sub-set of Panel members + experts with subsequent document review via email.
2. The TOPC’s list of Essential Climate Variables
Version 2 of the TOPC plan (1997) identified over 60 variables needed for climate studies. Whilst recognizing that the overall goal would be full monitoring of all variables the Panel has produced a reduced list of essential climate variables that are both currently feasible for global implementation and have high impact with respect to the UNFCCC and IPCC requirements. The final list includes river run off (m3 s-1) ground water extraction rates (m3 yr-1), lakes (location, level/area/temperature), snow cover extent (km2) and duration, snow depth (cm), glacier / ice cap inventory and mass balance (kg m-2 yr -1), glacier length (m), Ice sheet mass balance (kg m-2 yr -1) and extent, permafrost extent (km2), temperature profiles and active layer thickness, above ground biomass (T/ha), burnt area (ha), date and location of active fire, burn efficiency (%vegetation burned/unit area), albedo, land cover and cover change, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), leaf area index (LAI), and, in research mode, soil moisture.
3. Preparation of the 2nd Report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate
The Panel in formal session, through writing sessions and through email exchange drafted the terrestrial component of the 2nd report on the Adequacy of the Global Observing Systems for Climate and identified and contributed to the common elements.
See http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html for the full report.
4. Preparation of the Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate
The Panel supported the GCOS Secretariat in all phases of the preparation of the Implementation Plan. The Panel addressed each of the “terrestrial” findings of the 2nd Adequacy Report according to a schema examining why each variable is important now; identifying how each variable will be used in the next five to ten years; providing specific information on the resolution of the measurements (spatial, temporal etc.), presenting the technology used to make the measurements and highlighting what needs to be done to ensure current, historic and future records; emphasizing the benefits of making each set of observations; identifying where the responsibilities for measurement, processing and maintenance (archival, standards, benchmarking); identifying suitable institutional structures; identifying measurable factors to be used to judge progress over the 5 – 10 year period; and identifying provisional timeframe and costs.
In total the Panel drafted 37 specific actions. These are all included in the Implementation Plan. See http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html.
5. Satellite needs for climate
The Committee for Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS), in response to decisions made by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC is preparing a report for said Parties concerning the use of satellites for climate studies. The variables (and associated actions) as set out in the GIP provide a starting point. But the CEOS agencies have requested more detailed specification. GCOS and the WCRP are preparing more detailed specification as a Supplement to the GIP. This Supplement will be forwarded to CEOS for use in the preparation of their own report to COP.
TOPC first identified those terrestrial variables where satellites are expected to play a key role. And then identified individual products associated with these variables. The table provides a summary outline to give the GTOS SC some idea of where this activity is heading. Neither text nor list of products can be considered definitive at time of writing.
Climate Products (terrestrial) / Summary descriptionActive Fire / Gridded (1 km minimum preferred), georeferenced, daily maps locating fires burning at the time of satellite overpass (13.00 local overpass from polar orbiters preferred, geostationary network to provide diurnal pattern)
Albedo / Gridded (1 km minimum), directional hemispherical reflectance factor and/or the bi-hemispherical reflectance factor – daily minimum (multiple observations/day ideal)
Biomass (above ground) / For modeling purposes annually estimates in the tropics for biomass change and five to ten years in temperate and boreal forest. A spatial resolution of 250 m to 1 km is adequate. For Kyoto the temporal resolution requirements are annually with an spatial resolution of 70 m
Burnt Area / gridded, geo-referenced maps with a mapping unit of 250 m X 250 m to 1 x 1 km. Daily observations are required, typically amalgamated to 5-10 day products.
Fraction absorbed photosynthetically active radiation / daily gridded, georeferenced maps with a minimum mapping unit of 250m – 1km horizontal resolution; daily data can subsequently be composited at weekly to 10-day intervals as required to avoid cloud cover.
Fire radiative Power / Currently research mode product from MSG – should be extended to global geostationary satellite network
Global, georeferenced map (2D outlines) of the areas covered by glaciers other than ice sheets / The historic Landsat 4/5 TM data set (at 30 m resolution) covering the period 1982-2000 should include at least one cloud-free image from the end of the ablation period (autumn) of each glacier in the world. The entire archive can then be used to create a global dataset.
Regular update of the World Glacier Inventory at time intervals of a few decades from satellite data / 10 – 30 m resolution 2 D outlines 2000 onwards (Landsat ETM class follow on essential)
Ice sheet elevation / Continuation of long-term measurements of ice sheet elevation changes
Ice velocity / Velocity measurements of outlet glaciers from Ice Sheets and other glaciers
LAI / daily gridded, georeferenced maps with a minimum mapping unit of 250m – 1km horizontal resolution; daily data can subsequently be composited at weekly to 10-day intervals as required to avoid cloud cover.
Lake Area (GTN-L) / gridded, georeferenced maps of lake areas with a minimum mapping unit of 10 by 10 metres on an at least monthly basis
Lake level (GTN-L) / Vertical resolution of lake level of at least 5 cm with respect to reference geoid on an at least monthly basis.
Lake temperature (GTN-L) / gridded, georeferenced map on at least 1km by 1km resolution, daily, at an accuracy of 0.2°C
Land Cover / Global land-cover maps / annually / 250m-1km resolution documenting spatial distribution of land-cover characteristics with attributes suitable for climate, carbon and ecosystem models
Land Cover Change / Global land-cover maps at 10 – 30 metre resolution should be produced at five year intervals.
Land cover change (historical) / Historical global land cover data sets could be generated on a decadal scale from the 1970s to 2000 – 1 km resolution
Surface Soil Moisture / A temporal resolution of 3-4 day (preferable daily) observation time is requested with a spatial resolution of 30x30 m (global maps have been produced with a spatial resolution of 50 km)
Snow Cover / Gridded maps of snow areal extent and duration (both hemispheres)
Vegetation Continuous Fields / Proportional estimates of cover (tree; herbaceous; bare) gridded (250 m – 1 km), georeferenced, annual.
For each of the above TOPC is generating a product specification sheet. Each product specification sheet follows the same template which sets out a statement of product, indicates the required use/application (climate); emphasizes the benefits of generating the product and risks of failing to do so; providing detail of spatial and temporal resolution, plus thematic content if relevant; the required/observed magnitude of fluctuations are documented; appropriate Instrumentation identified; current data archives identified, where appropriate, and future needs specified; instrument calibration needs are detailed; product validation plans set out; the adequacy/inadequacy of current holdings documented; specific actions identified, and partners suggested; a time frame and cost proposed; Immediate product/dataset production opportunities highlighted; and finally non-climate applications emphasized.
The work is in progress and a first draft should be completed by end of February. Agenda item 10 will provide more detail.
6. Conclusions and future TOPC actions
TOPC should remain focused on climate issues. Though the GTOS SC may consider the potential of some terrestrial climate variables for use in reporting linked to other Rio Conventions (especially UNCCD – though this is a challenge as the UNCCD’s CST (Committee for Science and Technology) does not currently operate effectively.
The “mandate” for systematic, sustained, global observation of terrestrial variables linked to climate that the community currently enjoys won’t last unless we come up with some early success stories. We are making headway with terrestrial products. And the use of such products as indicators of climate change is both evident and real. We do however need to place effort on benchmarking/validation of these products (tasks which are underway…and supported in no small part by GTOS’ GOFC-GOLD, TOPC and the CEOS WGCV) and on assimilation of some of these advanced products into climate models.
Annex 1. TOPC Terms of Reference, April 2005
Terrestrial Observing Panel for Climate
Terms of Reference
Recognizing the need for specific and technical input concerning terrestrial observations for climate purposes, the sponsoring organizations of GTOS and the GCOS have jointly established TOPC with the following terms of reference.
· To define the requirements for long-term monitoring of terrestrial properties for climate and climate change.
· To liaise with relevant research and operational communities to identify measurable terrestrial (biosphere, cryosphere, and hydrosphere) properties and attributes which control the physical, biological and chemical processes affecting climate, are themselves affected by climate change, are indicators of climate change and provide information on impacts of climate change;
· To assess and monitor the adequacy of terrestrial observing systems (both in-situ and Earth observing satellite) and promote the development of their capacity to measure terrestrial properties relevant to climate and climate change and exchange climate data and information;
· To identify gaps in present systems and design, promote and periodically revise plans for a long-term systematic observing system that fills these gaps, makes the data available and so better serves the needs of the research and operational communities;
· To coordinate activities with other global observing system panels and task groups to ensure consistency of requirements with the overall programmes;
· Publish and update GCOS/GTOS studies and planning documents; and
· To carry out agreed assignments from, and to report regularly to, the Steering Committees for GCOS and for GTOS
Annex 2 TOPC Panel members 2006
Dr Alan BELWARD (Chair)
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
European Commission Joint Research Centre
I - 21020 ISPRA (Varese)
Italy
Email:
Prof. Roger BARRY
WDC-A for Glaciology
National Snow and Ice Data Center CIRES/WDC
University of Colorado, Campus Box 449
BOULDER, CO 80309-0449
USA
Email:
Prof. Wilfried HAEBERLI
Department of Geography
University of Zurich
Winterthurerstrasse 190
CH-8057 ZURICH
Switzerland
Email:
Prof. Sandy HARRISON
School of Geographical Sciences
University of Bristol
University Road
BRISTOL BS8 1SS
United Kingdom
Email:
Dr Jurate M. LANDWEHR
U.S. Geological Survey
National Center - MS431
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
RESTON, VA 20192
USA
Email:
Dr Thomas MAURER
Global Runoff Data Centre (GRDC)
Federal Institute of Hydrology
P.O. Box 200253
56002 KOBLENZ
Germany